The next generation of PCs is about to arrive - up to 50% faster!

Next Gen PC Hardware

Every couple of years computer hardware shifts up a gear and the next shift is about to arrive. New motherboards, new processors and a new RAM format could see performance increases of 50% or more.

 September will see the release of a new generation of PC hardware that could improve the performance of high-end systems by a huge amount. This new hardware will be expensive at first, but for power-hungry gamers and multimedia professionals the performance gains should be well worth it.

New Motherboards

September sees the release of Intels new X99 chipset and there will be a flurry of Motherboards based around it from Intel, MSI, EVGA and other manufacturers. The X99 or "Wellsburg" family of chipsets support new processors, faster RAM, more USB3 ports and a new version of SATA, SATA Express, which will allow access to a new generation of SSD drives at speeds of 10Gbps, 67% faster than SATA 3.0

New Processors

The new processors from Intel are the Haswell-E family (that's E for Enthusiast) The first three chips should be available in September and they will come in 6 and 8 core variants with clock speeds of 3 to 3.7Ghz and up to 20MB of on board cache. With quad channel memory controllers, 40 lanes of PCI-express 3.0 and support for Hyperthreading this will give up to 16 cores from a single processor and massively increased throughput to the memory and graphics cards. 

New RAM

The other new development is DDR4 RAM. As the name suggests this is the successor to DDR3 and it will offer faster clock speeds and larger modules but at the same time a reduction in voltage and power consumption. DDR4 RAM will be capable of up to twice the speed of DDR3 RAM.

Corsair are already marketing their DDR4 RAM which will be known as Vengeance LPX and Dominator Platinum. Available in 4GB and 8GB modules at first there should be 16GB modules in the future allowing up to 128GB in total. See the press release on the next page for more details.

What will it cost?

As usual the first generation of the new hardware will be expensive, motherboards at $999 and processors for over $1000 have been seen whilst the new DDR4 RAM will be 50-60% more expensive than DDR3, but prices will fall and more affordable versions of the hardware will be released. In the meantime, if you want the fastest PC that money can buy, September is looking like a good time to upgrade.

Read Corsair's press release about their new DDR4 memory after the break

Corsair®, a leader in high-performance PC hardware, today announced the availability of Corsair Vengeance® LPX and Dominator® Platinum lines of high-speed DDR4 computer memory. This new generation of memory ushers in a new age of ultrafast computing with optimizations such as increased DRAM bandwidth, higher bus frequencies, lower power usage, and higher reliability.
Corsair Vengeance LPX and Dominator Platinum DDR4 memory kits are validated with motherboard partners (ASUS, ASRock, EVGA, Gigabyte, and MSI) and use the new XMP 2.0 profile to deliver easy, reliable overclocking performance with the upcoming next-generation Intel® X99 platforms and Intel® Core™ i7 processors (codenamed Haswell-E). The Vengeance LPX and Dominator Platinum memory kits are supplied with a limited lifetime warranty.
Vengeance LPX

Vengeance LPX memory is a new Corsair memory line designed for high-performance overclocking with a low-profile heatspreader is made of pure aluminum for faster heat dissipation and the eight-layer PCB helps manage heat and provides superior overclocking headroom. The memory kits are available in black, red, white, or blue so that enthusiasts, gamers, and modders can add a touch style to match the color scheme of their PC.
Dominator Platinum

Like the DDR3 memory versions, the new Dominator Platinum DDR4 memory kits have a striking industrial design for good looks, patented DHX technology for cooler operation, user-swappable colored "light pipes" for customizable downwash lighting, and Corsair Link compatibility for real-time temperature monitoring. Dominator Platinum memory is built with hand-screened ICs, undergoes rigorous performance testing, and incorporates state-of-the-art cooling for reliable performance in demanding environments.
Vengeance LPX and Dominator Platinum DDR4 Specifications

Unbuffered DDR4 SDRAM in 288-pin DIMM
Capacities at launch: 8GB (2x4GB), 16GB (4x4GB), 32GB (4x8GB) and 64GB (8x8GB)
Speeds at launch: 2666MHz, 2800MHz, and 3000MHz
Intel XMP 2.0 (Extreme Memory Profile) support
About DDR4

DDR4 is faster.

Even at the baseline speed of DDR4 delivers twice the bandwidth with 2133 MT/s (million transfers per second) compared with the base DDR3 1600 MT/s. With optimizations games and applications have the potential to load faster and run more smoothly.
DDR4 uses a lot less power and runs cooler.

With each new generation of CPU and GPU architecture, system power consumption and heat generation become more and more important. DDR4 modules operate at an ultra-low standard 1.2 volts compared to the 1.5 and 1.65 volts of DDR3 memory, allowing DDR4 memory to consume significantly less power and generate less heat.
DDR4 memory modules can get bigger.

DDR3 is limited to 8GB modules for a maximum of 32GB on standard four-socket motherboards. DDR4 will have the ability to enable 16GB per module by 2015. A motherboard with eight memory slots will be upgradeable to an amazing 128GB or DDR4 memory.
Pricing, Availability, and Warranty

Corsair Vengeance LPX Series and Dominator Platinum DDR4 memory kits will be available at the end of August from Corsair's worldwide network of authorized distributors and resellers. The Vengeance LPX and Dominator Platinum memory kits are supplied with a limited lifetime warranty and are backed up by Corsair's customer service and technical support.